The Look
by MiamiBabe
Summary: A story inspired by one of my favorite songs that always reminds me of Ranger and Steph, but it isn't a songfic.  I hope you enjoy!  And let me know what you think!  I love reviews!


**A/N: This song was inspired by one of my favorite songs. Whenever I hear it I think of my favorite couple (for those that don't know) that's Ranger and Steph. **

**I'd like to give a special thanks to Lindsay and Stayce for helping me flush this story out. I couldn't of done it without your nudging and encouragement. **

**I hope you guys and enjoy!**

The Look

**By**

**Luisa (MiamiBabe)**

The past week had been hell at work. Everything that could go wrong did, and now my personal life had gone to crap, too. You had finally made good on your threat to leave.

I didn't believe you when you said you wouldn't wait forever. I was an arrogant asshole. I thought you had been bluffing and that you would always be around, but I guess the last laugh was on me.

And now no matter where I go or what I do, all I see is you. Those closest to me were paying the price and I've driven them all crazy with my mood swings and bad temper.

You made your choice, and I needed to accept it and get back to living life on my terms.

I knew it was for the best. My life had become too complicated with you around. I needed to simplify my life and get back to business.

No, what I really needed was to get away for a couple of days, to get you out of my system.

I grabbed my keys and took off. I told everyone that unless there was a dire emergency, I was to be left alone. I didn't know where I was going, but what I did know was that I had to get away from all the constant reminders of you.

It had been hours since I started on this road trip to nowhere. I was tired and restless, and the drive wasn't working the way I'd planned. It was supposed to clear my head, but I couldn't stop thinking about you.

I needed a distraction and it seemed fate was helping me out. I saw a bar, just what I needed. Maybe I could drown you out of my mind. I parked my new Porsche near the entrance and walked towards the door.

I stopped right inside the entrance of the room, giving myself a few minutes for my eyes to adjust to the dimmed lights. It was Friday night and the place was packed with men and women that were ready to let loose. The floor vibrated from the loud music and you could feel the sexual tension in the air.

I scanned the room and made my way to a dark table at the far corner of the bar. I pulled out a chair and sat with my back against the wall. And once again, your face popped into my mind. I shook my head. I was pathetic, even a dumb ass move like that one made me think of you.

Right as I was sitting down, a tall beautiful waitress came over to take my order, and she made no effort to hide the blatant 'once over' she was giving me. I'd been blessed with my dad's good looks and in my youth, hell, until a couple of years ago, I'd regularly taken advantage of them. But lately I'd lost interest in playing those games.

Shit when the hell did that happen? And then I chuckled to myself. Who the hell was I trying to kid? I knew exactly when it happened. It was the day I met you. I'm still not sure how it happened, because you weren't my type, but before I knew it you'd crawled under my skin and right into my heart.

You ruined me. And now for the first time in a long time, I didn't know what to do. How do I erase you from my thoughts…from my heart?

Get over it! Move on! I looked back at the waitress and made a decision. I was going to stop feeling sorry for myself and do something about it.

As I looked the waitress over, I decided this was exactly what I needed…to hook up with a beautiful woman and fuck her senseless.

I'm not stupid. I knew that it wasn't going to really change anything, but at least I could forget for a couple of hours. And, if I was lucky enough it would be the first step in forgetting you forever.

She bent lower than she needed to take my order, wanting to make sure that I saw what she had to offer and with a sex kitten voice, she huskily whispered, "What can I get you handsome?"

"Scotch on the rocks," I said.

"Anything else?" She purred.

"The drink for now, but I'm opened to suggestions," I replied, and gave her one of my full blown smiles, the kind that I knew from experience women couldn't resist.

She gasped and fanned herself. It took her a few minutes to gather her wits before she huskily replied, "Good to know…I like a man that's open to new experiences."

I chuckled as she slowly walked away. Looking back over her shoulder to wink at me.

This was exactly what I needed. Tonight would be the night that I reclaimed my life. From now on I was going to live in the moment, seeking pleasure for pleasure's sake. I was through with all the emotional bullshit. That was the reason I didn't do relationships in the first place.

A couple of hours had passed and the bar had gotten even more packed. I had several drinks under my belt and I had been flirting with my waitress along with a couple of other hot women that had come my way. I was having a good time. I almost felt like my old self again. But I was still vigilant, always watching making sure I wasn't putting myself in danger, so I periodically scanned the room, observed the people and checked the exits. And that's when I crashed from the high I had been on.

My head snapped and I did a double take back to the person in the doorway.

It couldn't be. You couldn't be here. What the hell were you doing here in the middle of nowhere? Damn I didn't think I drank that much, but that could be the only explanation.

I closed my eyes and told myself there was no way you could really be here. It was just the alcohol and my imagination playing tricks on me.

I mentally shook my head to clear it and opened my eyes. You were gone. My heart raced, while I frantically scanned the room again. Shit, I was losing it. And then I spotted you. I narrowed my eyes to clear my vision and then my heart sank when I realized it wasn't you at all.

I was so confused…she wasn't you, but she looked just like you. From her tall lean body, to her riotous curly brown hair, to the second most perfect blue eyes I had ever seen. I'd always heard that everyone had a double, but this is more than even I could take. Couldn't I catch a break? Were you going to haunt me forever?

And even though she wasn't you, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. My chest ached as if someone had sucker punched me. After the worst week of my life, I finally decided to accept your decision and move on, and this woman walked in to remind me of what I had lost.

She was seven feet away from me and she hadn't even glanced my way. She seemed to be waiting for someone. She looked nervous and vulnerable, biting her lower lip and checking her watch. Almost as if she was scared the person she was waiting for wasn't going to show up.

Dream on buddy! As if any man in his right mind would let someone like her down, but then it hit me, you were someone like her and I had let you down more times than I wanted to admit.

She finally felt my gaze and looked towards me. I smiled and she blushed, but she showed no interest. She simply turned and kept on looking for who I imagined was her date. Lucky bastard!

I continued to secretly watch her as she fidgeted with her drink and kept checking the time. I didn't know why, but I was getting pissed that some asshole was making her wait so long. I guess her similarity to you brought out my need to be over protective. But at the same time, I secretly hoped he didn't show up so that I could talk to her. Not because I wanted to pick her up, all thoughts of being with another woman had been shot when she showed up and reminded me of you. She just looked and acted so much like you. If I couldn't have you, maybe at least talking to her would ease my pain, even if only temporarily.

An hour had passed since she had arrived and I was getting ready to make my move, when I saw a tall dark man wearing a blue shirt walk towards her. I sat up straight ready to intervene in case he wasn't the person she was waiting for, but then I saw her smile and how her face lit up at the sight of him. And I gasped for breath as if the wind had been knocked out of me.

My heart ached because I recognized that look. It was the look you had always given me when we were together. It was the look that made my heart lighter when I was around you. It was the look that I unconsciously craved every day, but I had been too stupid and stubborn to do anything about it.

The couple mesmerized me. I had never seen them before, but I felt a connection to them. It was more than just the fact she looked like you. There was a familiarity about the man, too. Something about how their bodies gravitated toward each other and seemed to fit so perfectly. And then it hit me, it was how we looked when we were together. They were a perfect fit, just like we had been.

They stood so close that I couldn't tell where he began and she ended. He twisted his finger into one of her curls and leaned down to give her a loving kiss.

As he pulled away from her, she slowly opened her eyes and I saw the unbridled love she felt for him. The same love I used to see in your eyes.

And for the first time in a long time, I felt jealousy and envy. Because this stranger had something I had never allowed myself to have…love and happiness. The man caught me looking at them. He stared into my eyes and seemed to read my thoughts. After a few seconds of staring each other down, he nodded and turned back towards the woman who was asking him a question.

I watched them for a few more minutes before I threw some bills on the table and walked out. I had had enough for one night. I had made my bed and now I had to lie in it. I just hoped that with time, the permanent ache in my chest would fade away.

"Ranger…who was that man?"

"I don't know Babe."

"He was watching me while I waited for you."

Ranger tensed. He quickly scanned the room for threats, making sure they weren't in danger. When he was satisfied everything was okay, he turned back to Steph. "Did he say or do anything to you?"

"No. He just smiled and then I turned and kept looking for you."

"I'm sorry I made you wait Babe. The meeting went longer than I expected."

"It's okay. I was just a little nervous coming to a new place by myself, but you're here now so it's fine." She tilted her head up and gave him one of her beautiful smiles.

He tangled his fingers into her hair and peppered her lips with feather-like kisses, then leaned his forehead against hers before he told her admiration and a bit of mischief in his voice, "You look beautiful tonight. I like the dress …I can't wait to take it off you."

She blushed and he chuckled. He loved that after three months of being together, she still blushed every single time he gave her a compliment.

"I like you better with your clothes off, too," she said with a sexy smile.

He barked a laugh. "You never disappoint Babe."

"So if you don't know him, why did you stare and nod at him?"

He softly laughed at her swift change of topic. She hated being in the dark and she couldn't let go of a mystery until her curiosity was satisfied. It was one of the things he loved the most about her.

"I felt his eyes, and I was trying to figure out why he was so interested in us. But once I locked eyes with him, I realized he wasn't looking for trouble. Actually, he looked sad. I kind of felt sorry for him."

"Sorry for him? Why?"

He caressed her face and while gently kissing her lips, he whispered, "Because I recognized the look."

She scrunched her brows in confusion. "The look? Okay Batman, explain."

He smiled at her. He still couldn't get over how far they'd come in such a short time. She was completely at ease with him, and she didn't feel the least bit intimidated to demand answers from him.

He leaned into her ear and whispered, "It's the look that I always fought to hide when I saw you with Morelli. It's a look of longing, loss and regret."

Her heart broke a little when she thought of how close they had come to that being a reality.

She mentally shook her head to clear it of any sad thoughts. They were together now, and that was all that mattered. She had been looking forward to spending a night alone with him, and she wasn't going to waste a moment thinking of what might have been, so she tried to lighten the mood. "Well thank God you smartened up then," she teased him, "because I was getting tired of waiting for you."

His eyes bore into hers as he asked, "Would you really have given up on me?"

"What do you think?" And then she kissed him with all the passion and love she felt for him making sure that he understood she would've waited forever.

Eventually the kiss slowed, and they pulled apart, both fighting to regain their breath. Gently rubbing her swollen lips with his fingertips, he looked down at her and whispered, **"**Babe."

The End

**A/N: IT'S A OFFICIAL, I'VE BECOME A REVIEW SLUT. I LOVE RECEIVING AND READING YOUR REVIEWS, SO DON'T FORGET TO FEED MY MUSE. LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK! IT MAKES MY DAY! **


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